This laboratory has been involved in contributing to the development of a malarial vaccine. To this end we have been cloning and characterizing surface antigen genes from the human malarias and have been developing a rodent model system for vaccine testing. Two important contributions with regard to human malarias have been the identification of the immunodominant epitopes of antigens that are dis-played on the surface of the Plasmodial sporozoites of P. vivax and P. malariae. Further, an antigen corresponding to the sporozoite antigens of the human malarias has been identified in a roden malaria. With the goal of developing a rodent model for malaria vaccines, we have immunized mice against parasites and will characterize the degree of protection afforded by the vaccination as well as the B-cell and T-cell responses.